Trade Tracker Thursday: Philadelphia Phillies. Bad Dude, Buddy, Hot Foot, and the Scrappy Youngster.

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer - but in Major League Baseball, you rarely trade with them. For the Mets and Phillies, sharing the National League East means sharing a bitter, decades spanning geographic animosity. Due to the fact that they are locked in an eternal struggle for division dominance, GMs are hesitant to orchestrate a major trade. But when they do, it's an internal structural shift that sends shockwaves up and down I-95. How do you cheer a player you've always been booing? How do you despise a long time hero?

The Mets have traded emotional leaders and foundational cultural pieces (Tug! Roger! Lenny! Buddy!) only for some to become franchise heroes for the Fightin' Phils. And we had to watch them starring in October.

December 3, 1974. Mets get C John Stearns, OF Del Unser, and LHP Mac Scarce for LHP Tug McGraw, and OFs Don Hahn and Dave Schneck.

Newly appointed Mets General Manager Joe McDonald was looking to modernize an aging Met roster that had plummeted to a 71-91 record in 1974 after a NL Pennant in 1973. McGraw was coming off a difficult injury plagued season (4.16 ERA, just three saves - he even started 4 games including a shutout!). Add that to a public contract dispute. They had their eye on the "Bad Dude" Stearns, the # 2 pick in the 1973 draft. The Phillies were building a formidable core around young sluggers Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski and needed a high-leverage closer with a whole lot of "swag."

You can't get more swag than Frank Edwin McGraw (nicknamed Tug due to the way he breast fed as an infant!). Tug would routinely pitch over 100 innings a year as a closer, well, because they all did! In the 1969 Championship season, McGraw pitched to a 2.24 ERA with 12 saves, but never pitched in the World Series! Can you imagine that today? For comparison, think about the Yankees during their run a long time ago not using Mariano Rivera in a series. Thank Mr. Seaver and Mr. Koosman for not needing any help on the mound.

Thinking about 1973, all veteran Mets fans can clearly still see McGraw marching off the mound pounding his glove on his leg prancing off to the dugout. We still say and will always say "Ya Gotta Believe" when things get tough. McGraw pitched in 5 of the 7 games in the 1973 World Series, pitching an incredible 13.2 innings. McGraw pitched 2 scoreless innings in a Game 1 loss, then pitched SIX innings to get the win in a Game 2 extra inning victory. He came RIGHT BACK in Game 3, pitching 2 scoreless innings in another extra inning game. He had a mini-breather before pitching 2.2 innings for a Game 5 save. He came back again for an inning in Game 6. You know if the Mets could have mounted a comeback in Game 7, Tugger would have been out there. There will never be another relief performance like it.

McGraw also had some of the best quotes. When asked for the difference between grass and Astroturf, he said, "I don't know. I've never smoked Astroturf." When asked how he spent his new raise, he said, "I spent it on wine and women. I wasted the rest."

It really did seem at the time that McGraw was at the end of the line. Hahn was a defensive specialist and started many games in the 1973 post-season due to Rusty Staub's shoulder injury and the aging of legend Willie Mays. Schneck, a 5 ft 10, 200 pound fire hydrant, spent 14 months in Vietnam, being drafted as a 19 year old. He hit .199 in his 143 games as a Met. He never played for another team. Use him in your Immaculate Grid! He does hold a share of the record for most at bats in a game! He went 2-11 during the 25-inning game on September 11, 1974.

John Stearns, forever the Bad Dude, was a star defensive back for the University of Colorado. He held the school record for career interceptions for decades. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1973. He used those skills on the baseball diamond! He famously tackled Montreal Expo pitcher Bill Gullickson when a pitch came close to Mike Jorgensen's head, a fan who foolishly ran on the field, and Braves mascot Chief Nokahoma!

Stearns set a record for stolen bases as a catcher with 25 in 1978. John "Duke" Wathan broke it in 1982 with 36. Jason Kendall of Pittsburgh holds the NL record with 26 in 1998.

When you are a teenaged die-hard Mets fan during the late 1970's (in the Bronx, no less), proud moments were few and far between. Seeing John Stearns catch the 9th inning in the All-Star Game was always worth staying up for. Stearns was picked for 4 contests, but only had one at-bat, grounding out to second in 1980.

Stearns had the Mets record for home runs as a Mets catcher (15) until Gary Carter came along. Strangely, the Dude didn't hit any in 363 at bats in 1980. I couldn't find anyone who drove in more than his 45 runs without a homer. Rey Ordonez always hit one a year, so it wasn't him.

Stearns's career took a nosedive on July 26, 1980. He took a foul tip directly off the first joint of his right index finger off the bat of Dave Collins. (I was there, the Forest Gump of the Mets). The fracture required surgery in August and soon complications set in, forcing a second operation in December. The injury nagged him throughout his career, eventually adding in an injured shoulder. Even though he made another All-Star squad in 1982, he was never the same and only played 12 games after 1982, many as a pinch runner.

If you remember John at the 2022 Old Timer's Day looking like he had little time left, maybe you cried, too. He passed a month later.

Del Unser hit .294 during his only full Mets season. Scarce, a useful lefty with the Phillies, had 12 saves with a 2.42 ERA in 1973. As a Met, he pitched to ONE batter, gave up a hit, and that was that. You can use him in Immaculate Grid, too! (He pitched 17 games for the Twins in 1978).

TEACHER SAYS B. I know, unbiased writers would give this an F. McGraw pitched ten years in Philadelphia, highlighted by his magical 1980. He pitched 92 innings with a 1.46 ERA and leaped off the mound as the Phillies won their first Championship. But if you watched Stearns play so hard every day and give his all, this was not a failure. As Mark Rosenman so deftly explained, The Bad Dude needs to be in the Mets Hall of Fame. Now.

June 18, 1989. Mets get OF Juan Samuel for OF Lenny Dykstra and pitchers Roger McDowell and Tom Edens.

Frank Cashen continues to dismantle the bold, fighting 1986 Champs. Bob Murphy called Lenny "A Scrappy Youngster" so many times, I thought it was part of his real name. McDowell was known for playing pranks, especially giving hot foots to unsuspecting Mets victims. No one will ever forget when he put his uniform on upside down. McDowell has a newly published memoir out, fittingly called "Hot Foot."

Dykstra suddenly showed up to Phiilies camp looking like the Incredible Hulk, now called "Hulkstra." The tiny, scrappy centerfielder was now a 5 ft 9 in Schwarzenegger. In his almost 8 years as a Philly, he only playedmore than 85 games twice, but what years they were! In 1990, he had 192 hits with a .325 average. He walked 89 times while striking out only 48 times. He finished 9th in MVP voting. He outdid even himself in 1993. Finishing second in MVP voting to the monstrous Barry Bonds, (maybe something was in the water? Wink wink nudge nudge). Dykstra scored 143 runs, had 194 hits, 44 doubles, 19 homers, 129 walks and only 64 strikeouts! He followed that up with a .348 average with 4 homers in a World Series loss.

McDowell pitched 127 and 128 innings in his first two years out of the Mets bullpen. He memorably pitched 7 innings, giving up only one hit in the 1986 NLCS vs the Astros. He pitched 5 scoreless innings in the 16 inning Game 6 masterpiece. Side note - the Mets only used 4 pitchers in that marathon! The Mets' two closers - McDowell and Jesse Orosco, pitched the last EIGHT innings.

I was coming home from Cooperstown at the time of the trade, and my buddy and I were ecstatic that the Mets were importing one of the most electric performers in baseball, Juan Samuel. Boy, were we wrong! Sammy hit with power, drove in runs, was a league leader in triples, stole as many as 72 bases....and....struck out a whole lot, especially for the time. And was a poor fielder. The Mets decided to turn the 7 year veteran into a centerfielder. The Mets? Having players play out of position? What? They tried it with Howard Johnson, Keith Miller, Todd Hundley, and now Mark Vientos and Bo Bichette. It never seems to work for them.

Samuel was a disaster in centerfield and at the plate, hitting .228. He moved on and played 9 more years, even becoming an All-Star again in 1990 with the Dodgers.

TEACHER SAYS F. One of the worst trades in Mets history. McDowell continued to haunt them as an excellent long time pitching coach with the Braves.

March 24, 1978. Mets get INF Fred Andrews for SS Bud Harrelson.

Another final piece of the 1969 and 1973 teams is disposed of. The defensive anchor was a Gold Glove winner in 1970 and made two consecutive All-Star appearances in 1970 and 1971. He is one of the only Mets to get multiple hits in the game, with 2 in 1970. He started the 1971 game. He held the franchise record with 54 errorless games at shortstop until Kevin Elster broke the record.

Derrel McKinley Harrelson places high on many Mets lists. Fourth in games played and at-bats, 7th in hits, 3rd in triples and walks, and 5th in times on base. I remember my father yelling, "One out!" before Buddy even came to the plate!

Yes, he was safe at the plate in the 1973 World Series! IYKYK.

Bud is the only person to be in uniform for both Championships as he was a coach in 1986 and the only man to be in uniform for 4 post-season appearances (69 and 73 as a player and 86 and 88 as a coach). His nickname came from a younger brother who tried to say "brother." Announcer Gary Cohen often mentions Buddy as his favorite Met.

Buddy was at the end of his career when the Mets traded him, but did stick around for about 200 more games with Philadelphia and Texas. 1980 Rangers teammates included Rusty Staub, Jon Matlack, Fergie Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Ed Figueroa, Sparky Lyle, Charlie Hough, Mickey Rivers, and Richie Zisk. That's a lot of big names for your Immaculate Grid!

TEACHER SAYS C. Buddy had little left and Fred Andrews never appeared in another major league game after the trade. Could they have gotten more? What do you think?

March 27, 1979. Mets get 3B Richie Hebner and INF Jose Moreno for RHP Nino Espinosa.

I wrote about Grave Digger Hebner in last week's Tiger Trade Tracker. Espinosa was becoming an innings eater for the late 1970's Mets. He pitched over 200 innings in both 1977 and 1978, lean years for the team. He won in double digits both years but struck out very few. Only 105 and 74 with all of those innings. His first year in Philadelphia was excellent, winning 14 games with a 3.65 ERA. However, injuries took its toll and he only pitched 12 games during their World Championship season, and he wasn't a part of the post season roster. He later pitched only one inning for Toronto in 1981 (Immaculate grid!).

Sadly, Espinosa passed away from a heart attack in 1987 at the young age of 34.

TEACHER SAYS D. You don't trade a young starting pitcher who throws a lot of innings. It's not an F because....sorry...I liked Hebner's bat. Hey, I was 15!

Here are some other names in Mets-Phils trade history: Jason Vargas, Jose Bautista, Asdrubal Cabrera, Dennis Cook, Turk Wendell, Bruce Chen, Todd Pratt, Tom Herr, Bill Almon, Jose Cardenal (who was purchased by the Phils between games of a double header at Shea), Chuck Hiller, and Dallas (no relation) Green.

I'd love to read about your memories of Buddy, Lenny, Roger, John Stearns, and Tug! Please use the comments section.